A screengrab from one of the hundreds of videos uncovered by Bulgarian police shows the abuse of an animal
Cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs and albino mice – these are some of the animals tortured and killed in Bulgaria as part of a fetish practice known as ‘crush fetish.’
Footage of pets being subjected to unimaginable suffering, including being tied up, stabbed and mutilated, was uncovered on online platforms.
Gabriela Sashova, 26 and Krasimir Georgiev, 34, have been identified as the masterminds behind the operation.
They are understood to have raked in tens thousands of pounds by filming the torture of the animals and selling it online.
Their customers were charged between £40 to £600, depending on the pet involved, and even advertised ‘Black Friday’ discounts.
Police believe the videos are linked to ‘crush fetish,’ in which people derive sexual gratification from watching living beings being tortured, mutilated, and crushed to death.
Police believe the videos are linked to ‘crush fetish’
Sashova carried out the abuse in rented rooms in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, while her accomplice, Georgiev, filmed it.
Some of the videos reveal them forcing animals into gruesome positions, including tying cats to leashes and running them over with vehicles.
Bulgarian media reported that their operation has been ongoing for years, with police finally carrying out an investigation after multiple complaints.
Authorities eventually discovered a computer and a smartphone holding gigabytes of footage of atrocities committed on animals.
Sashova and Georgiev have since been arrested and charged with money laundering, criminal conspiracy, and cruelty towards animals.
The case triggered a mass response in several Bulgarian cities, including in the capital Sofia(Picture: BTA / Blagoi Kirilov)
Petya Altimirska, chairwoman of the association ‘Campaigns and Activism for Animals in Industry’, which has filed a report with the Bulgarian Animal Protection Agency, told FACTI that hours of recordings were found.
She said: ‘The clips feature different animals, dozens of animals. It turned out that she also has a price list on her Telegram channel, in which she described how many animals, what clips she can make, and thus gives people the opportunity to order what they want to happen to the animals.
‘In addition, for Black Friday in November, she had made a promotion on her channel.’
The case has sparked mass public outrage, leading to protests in Sofia demanding harsher punishments for animal abusers and much stricter regulations on online platforms hosting such content.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Palace of Justice before marching to the National Assembly, where they chanted ‘We want a functioning police’ and ‘Jail them for life.’
Another protest was also held in the city of Pernik, about 20 miles from the capital, where the case is being heard.
The two detainees could receive up to eight years in prison if the charges are proven.
But their lawyers insist there is no direct evidence that they have received payment for the footage.
It is not yet known when the trial to be.
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